


Number 96

by Captain_Uninspired



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Abuse, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst and Humor, Death, Deviates From Canon, Family, Happy Hogan - Freeform, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Nick Fury - Freeform, Original Character(s), Past Brainwashing, Protective Jarvis (Iron Man movies), Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, phil coulson - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-04-26 15:08:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14404707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Uninspired/pseuds/Captain_Uninspired
Summary: A young girl is given the task of stealing intelligence from Stark Tower, but when the mission goes south, Tony Stark and company begin to unravel the lies she had been fed for her whole life.  With new knowledge of the world around her and a newfound strength, she sets out to right her own wrongs. And her new mission, destroy those who dared to lie to her.





	Number 96

Shivers ran down the small girl’s spine as she weaved her way through the bustling New York streets. The worn and tattered hoodie she’d managed to snatch out of a donation bin the night before did close to nothing to combat the chill in the air.

Night had fallen upon the city several hours before, not too soon after she’d set out to map out all the potential exit points. Her mind memorized the names of streets and shops around her, burning them into the forefront of her thoughts. The darkness brought along with it the enthusiastic night life the city was so renowned for, complete with all the pseudo glitz and glamour that it promised. It was nothing short of breathtaking, the twinkling lights blinding her at every turn. But she didn’t have the time to dwell on the novelty of the place, there was a reason she was here. A mission, a mission she could not fail.

No matter how many times she told herself not to get distracted, she couldn’t help but slow down and gawk at the way it was practically day from the way all of the lights made up for the disappearance of the sun. The path to her destination was lit by street lamps, obnoxiously bright neon signs, and car headlights that flew past her. A hotel sign above began to sputter, but the girl kept herself in line, saving it from burning out.

She kept her head down, shoving achingly clenched fists into the pockets of her hoodie. She loathed the way her palms grew increasingly sweaty the closer she got to her target. She wiped her hands off on her jeans that were a size too big, the knees worn out to mere strings.

Nobody paid the young girl any mind, focused on pushing through the crowd as fast as possible. They were too busy with news of the latest celebrity drama or making a mad dash home after a long day at work. It was a Friday after all.

They seemed to swarm around her, the delicate buzzing and crackling emanating from their bodies building up inside her skull. She struggled to even out her breathing, unfamiliar on how to deal with a crowd this size. She was accustomed to silence or at least the powerful explosions that rocked the world underneath her feet. Now everything hummed with a muffled hiss that followed her every move. Her body drew it in, trapping the burning energy within her, stolen from the world.

She glanced behind her, searching for anything or anyone that could be seen as suspicious in her mind. The young girl knew she had covered her tracks to the best of her ability, shaking off anyone who would dare to follow. Still her breath would catch inside of her lungs every time someone’s gaze lingered on her for a second too long. SHIELD had agents stationed all over New York she warned herself, eyes and ears at every corner. If someone noticed something strange, you better believe SHIELD would be all over it.

Limbs tingled with restless energy as she kept moving forward. A large man strode past her, grazing her shoulder along the way. A flicker of a spark, and the vivid green shirt he’d been wearing now sported a black smouldering circle on his sleeve. He let out a yelp, but the girl slipped away into the mass of people before he could catch the details of her face. Her own shoulder was left with a slight sting, but some of the built up tension faded from her muscles, albeit not by much.

Light grey eyes darted across the hectic scene as she marched on, her heart left racing from the encounter. She glanced over her shoulder every minute, praying that the man would manage to convince himself it wasn’t something out of the ordinary.

These streets were so much more chaotic than she could have imagined it to be. It was an intense contrast to the frigid structure that’s she’d grown into. Back there, everything had a purpose, everything was in a strict routine. She would await orders in the tiny room she called her own, stare at the same white walls that built up her life. She’d wait for the same two meals for the day, obeyed every command given from her handler. Anywhere she had to go, she went. Anyone she had to fight, she fought. Anyone she had to kill, died. Everything was in order. That order was essential to her life, that’s what they’d told her. Without it, she had nothing. Without them, she was alone in a world that did not want her. She wouldn’t survive.

This mission was beginning to prove that. Her first venture outside that wasn’t in a war zone left her far more shaken that anything else she’d faced. The paranoia was clawing its way into her chest and tightening its hold on her frantic heart.

This freedom of choice, the freedom of not having her handler close by to give her directives, was far too much. With so many options, too many things could go wrong. Choice made room for error, something she could not afford. Errors led to the concrete room that stank so strongly of a cleaning agent that it burned her nostrils.

High-pitched laughter startled her out of her thoughts. She lost control of the pulsing energy that had been slowly building up inside her for less than a second, but that was all the time it needed. The lights of a nearby bistro blinked out of existence and filled the night with the startled gasps from the patrons inside.

The burn now subsided into a light irritation running through the skin of her fingertips and toes. To her, it was like taking in a breath after being held down underwater. It was just as important as breathing.

Once she collected herself fully, the young girl cursed under her breath and scurried away from the scene, leaving no trace of her presence at the event. She wasn’t going to risk being caught now. She was in too deep.

The girl kept trudging on for another half hour according to the dingy old watch on her wrist. She’d managed to find it after scouring the contents of a dumpster in a back alley that morning. The glass was cracked beyond belief and the leather had been overworked, but it still ticked on. The metal was oddly cool against her skin.

Avoiding the most brightly lit streets, she quickened her pace. A glance at the wrist watch and she noted she was cutting it close to the time frame her handler had specified. She knew she’d make it though. She had to.

In her sheer concentration, her fingers began to fiddle with the thumb drive she’d been tasked to deliver, reassuring herself that it was still with her. That tiny, untraceable thumb drive was the most crucial part of this mission. When this mission was over, it’d be worth more than her own life. She chose not to dwell on that fact though.

The tower was in her sight now, a shining beacon of progress in the New York horizon. The bold lettering was unmistakable, spelling out the name ‘Stark’ in radiant white. She swallowed. It was time.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed my first fic on here, and if you see any mistakes don't be afraid to tell me in the comments! Any and all advice is accepted here since let's be honest I probably need it :)


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